My passion to WRITE preceeds me, My urge to be RIGHT defeats me, Certainly, my intent not to be WRONG, guides me. This is my journal, abt life. Abt how I see life. Pls dispute me if you may!...I don't want anyone to agree with me...totally.

Saturday, October 25, 2003

Ramadhan Al-mubarak

Assalamualaikum,

Ramadhan Al-mubarak. Fasting is here, thus be FAST and not SLOW. ;-) ;-) (double wink!)

"Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, - Who say, when afflicted with calamity : ' To Allah we belong, and to HIM is our return' :- They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that received guidance." (Al-Baqara, 2:155-157)

What a good reminder from Allah. S.W.T.

Life is a challenge and often than not we can easily adapt and overcome that challenges (if only we understand). Yet, when all things failed we began to ask the "Y" questions and failed to Bersyukur and Persevere- regardless of our state and condition in life.

and when that happens (failing to persevere) we cause further damages to our mind, body and soul and eventually our FAITH. This has got to stop. It is so detrimental to oneself and will not assist you in anyway in dealing with issues at hand. Our spiritual beings will just remained CONFUSED!!!

It appears that we r brought up in an islamic society where "BerSyukur" (ThankFul) is warranted only when we r better than others. At times..when u talked to pious ppl, they would insinuate that watever mishap that happens to YOU (NOT THEM), is due..to yr VERY OWN WRONGDOINGS. - yr past sins. Yet if some misfortune happened to them..they would gladly say " ALLAH IS TESTING THEM !!!"

Some ppl believe that the LIGHT (often misintepreted as IMAN/FAITH) is GIVEN by ALLAH and we have no choice/control over it. That is a misconsture if we refer the LIGHT to IMAN/FAITH !!

My advise is to be very mindful and careful, for the same misintepreted argument used by the Syaitan b4 he was expelled from heaven. The syaitan said/insinuated that since..Allah has ordained that he will betray GOD, might as well. (it no different than the arguments used by the gays and lesbians community who claimed that they r created that way....so don't be hypocrite) May Allah bless us all. Nauzubillah.

Yes! it is true, if we talking abt the HIDAYAH ALLAH..HE GIVES TO THOSE HE PLEASES, but IMAN itself is something that we as human being has to work on it, nurture and protect it. It is not a given rights by Allah, but a CHOICE one has to make. there r too many Allah's Qalam that re-affirm these.

Yes, i do understand the reminders saying that "....HE (ALLAH) KNOWS WHOM HE HAS GIVEN THE LIGHT".

These reminders actually, reaffirm that ALLAH will NOT INTERFERE in our DECISION MAIKING. The choice is up to us. " HE (ALLAH) GAVE THE LIGHT...BUT THEY TURNED AWAY FROM IT.." so many verses that end with such reminder in Allah's Qalam.

And if we go further to understand Sifat Allah, we will understand that Allah does not give contradicting advise and reminders.

The other common bad advise is "We ought to be besyukur.. becos.. there is someone out there who is in greater misery in life than ours.. someone out there in hunger, someone out there in poverty... someone out there who is hideous in look, someone out there who is handicapped and the list goes on and on..."

The truth is while there is someone out there who is worst than us..there r always many out there who r better than us. So how? the ppl in worst condition have the "wrights" NOT TO BERSYUKUR (PERSEVERE)?. Ironic right?

God ! when will this end. I must say... I begged to differ from these school to tots.

"Religion is sincere advice " (hadith reported by Muslim).

So ask yrself these, r those advise I've narrated above sincere? I leave that to you to ponder.

Now, how abt the Y questions? What abt the Y questions anyway?

Gee.. How I hate that Y questions, bcos, often than not, i've met just too many ppl who put themselves down over and over again with self-blamed for the misfortune(s) they encountered. some..began to blame others and the worst lot is to blame ALLAH. Nauzubillah.

So if I can give any advise, I would say, dun deal too much with the "Y" Questions. Just began life with a positive outlook, and address the real issues/challenges and problems at hand. Understand the How-To and the What-to in dealing positively with our emotional, psychological and physical beings. Only then, I believe we can transform ourselves into a better person today than yesterday and tommorrow than today. And while we at it, be very compassionate towards others no matter how bad they seem to be.

"O ye who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear Allah; that ye may prosper." (Al-Imran, 3:300)
That's it for now. and I do hope that this RAMADHAN will be more meaningful in our life today and many yrs to come and that we can perform our obligation in the most best state of health - mind, body and soul. From Allah we come, to HIM we will return.

Pryaing for yr spiritual advancement as I wished u've prayed for mine. Insyaallah. amin.

/dzan

Sunday, June 22, 2003

Welcome to my 1st posting

Assalamualaikum,

Welcome to my 1st posting. Yes, this is a very personal and frank view of mine. This is my life Journal. You may agree or oppose to whatever I say. I'm not trying to be right...and definitely do not want to be wronged either.

I am a MUSLIM from the Southern State of Malaysia. I hope to die as a Muslim too with all the glad tidings from Allah S.W.T and enter the Jannah.

But should I transgress the boundaries ordained by Allah S.W.T, do let me know. I need to be reminded everynow and then. Nauzubillah.

Nonetheless, I am learning everyday in my life - still. I know I can learn from all of you. So, share yr thots with me.

Praying for yr spiritual advancement as I wished you've prayed for mine. Amin.

/dzan